{"id":2133328,"date":"2026-09-08T09:15:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T06:15:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2133328"},"modified":"2026-09-08T09:15:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T06:15:58","slug":"inside-the-sixers-dream-summer-how-philly-landed-lebron-james-and-jaylen-brown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2133328","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Sixers\u2019 dream summer: How Philly landed LeBron James and Jaylen Brown"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PHILADELPHIA \u2013 The kids, wide-eyed, waited their turn to speak to Mike Gansey.<\/p>\n

In the sweltering Francis J. Myers recreation center, one by one, well-wishers, Philadelphia 76ers personnel and family members approached the man who has been the team\u2019s president of basketball operations for fewer than four months.<\/p>\n

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Those months have been spectacular, which is why everyone was gathered this hot August afternoon for Jaylen Brown\u2019s introductory news conference. But it was the children, gathered en masse, who put the day \u2014 and the entire summer \u2014 into context.<\/p>\n

As Gansey greeted them, shaking hands, taking photos and smiling endlessly, one stepped forward with a question that encapsulated everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you the one who got us LeBron?\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, Gansey is the guy who got them LeBron. But first, he had to get Jaylen Brown. For as much credit as the Sixers deserve in landing James, it was the trade for Brown that set in motion an offseason for the ages.<\/p>\n

When Gansey\u2019s new group began plotting the offseason, their financial limitations seemed clear. The contracts of Paul George and Joel Embiid consumed much of their flexibility. They had the No. 22 pick in the NBA Draft and the midlevel exception at their disposal. Beyond that, the rest of their money amounted largely to smaller exceptions and veteran minimums.<\/p>\n

So Gansey and general manager Jameer Nelson settled on a simple philosophy: They would call everyone.<\/p>\n

During Gansey\u2019s days as GM in Cleveland, resilience and persistence had been drilled into him. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert would routinely call, text or email some version of the same question: Did we call and check on this guy? Did we call everyone?<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were some trades that we\u2019ve done that were two years in the making, simply because we kept calling,\u201d Gansey told The Athletic<\/em> in an extensive sitdown interview. \u201cWe kept checking in, and in the end we came away with that person. It didn\u2019t always work, but we always wanted to make sure we did the work.\u201d<\/p>\n

That philosophy ultimately led them to Brown.<\/p>\n

The Sixers knew they weren\u2019t the first \u2014 or even the second or third team \u2014 on Boston\u2019s radar, but they kept calling. They also knew the Celtics\u2019 preferred path involved trading Brown to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo. Philadelphia kept calling anyway.<\/p>\n

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When Boston lost the race for Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, the dynamics changed for Philadelphia, according to league sources.\u00a0Brown\u2019s name had surfaced publicly in those trade talks, and there was a point of no return. The Celtics almost had<\/em> to trade him.<\/p>\n

Even then, Philadelphia viewed itself as a long shot, according to league sources. Conventional wisdom suggested Boston would rather trade him to a Western Conference team than trade an All-NBA-caliber player to a division rival.<\/p>\n

But as Brown\u2019s market softened, Gansey and the Sixers were still there. When the opportunity became real, Philadelphia decided it wasn\u2019t going to lose Brown over the Clippers\u2019 2028 first-round pick.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe process in talking to Boston about Jaylen took a couple of weeks,\u201d Gansey said. \u201cWe let them know we were interested and then just kind of went from there. We just kind of stayed in the mix, and the next thing you know, we were at the five-yard line \u2026 We just kept banging the drum and expressing interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting Brown proved to be the move that unlocked Philadelphia\u2019s ability to recruit James. But how the Sixers approached this summer provides a window into the new man in charge of the front office.<\/p>\n

In addition to conversations with Gansey and head coach Nick Nurse, The Athletic<\/em> spoke with three league sources with direct knowledge of Philadelphia\u2019s offseason maneuvering. The sources spoke on the conditions of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss private trade talks, negotiations and recruitment efforts.<\/p>\n

And in the end, they were able to land the ultimate prize. Now they have to go out and play the games.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be honest, it all still feels kind of surreal,\u201d Gansey said. \u201cI\u2019m sure it will hit more, once the season begins and we see the team in uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how Philadelphia\u2019s mega-summer came together.<\/p>\n

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Brown and James transformed the Sixers but neither move was where Philadelphia\u2019s offseason began.<\/p>\n

It was reasonable to think the Sixers would largely run back the roster that finished 45-37 and fell well short in the second round against the New York Knicks. That wasn\u2019t necessarily a terrible outcome. Embiid, after nearly two seasons of dealing with major injuries, had proved he was still one of the best offensive players in the world. George, despite missing significant time because of a 25-game suspension<\/a> for violating NBA drug policy, had a good season on both ends. Maxey blossomed into a true star. Edgecombe established himself as one of the league\u2019s best rookies. Internal progression from Edgecombe seemed to be Philadelphia\u2019s best way forward. And the hope was that Maxey would have another gear he could reach, too.<\/p>\n

Gansey knew he wanted more.<\/p>\n

His road to Philadelphia has been more than a decade in the making.<\/p>\n

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He was once an all-state high school basketball player in Ohio. In 2001, as a high school senior, Gansey was runner-up to James for Mr. Basketball. A photo of him with his arm on James\u2019 shoulder went viral<\/a> on social media this offseason when it was shared by his brother, Steven Gansey. He played at St. Bonaventure and later in the Big East at West Virginia.<\/p>\n

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\n Sixers\u2019 president of basketball operations Mike Gansey in 2022. (Faith Moran \/ GC Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Before being elevated to general manager with the Cavs, he ran the G League Canton Charge. There, he learned the mechanics of running a team. It gave him the room to oversee a draft, make trades and acquire players.<\/p>\n

Once he landed with Philly this summer, he wanted Nelson beside him. Nelson, the former Saint Joseph\u2019s star from Chester, Pa. had risen quickly in Philadelphia\u2019s front office. Many around the league expect Nelson to one day run a team himself. Gansey knew improving the Sixers would be difficult, but he was drawn to the thought of building a roster around Maxey and Edgecombe. He looked at them as one of the more dynamic young backcourts in the league.<\/p>\n

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He couldn\u2019t have foreseen the success of this summer. But he believed he could build a title-level team around the two guards.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing working with (Cavs president) Koby (Altman) always taught me is to be aggressive,\u201d Gansey said. \u201cWe always have to be trying to make a team better. Always make the call and do the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gansey and Nelson promised themselves they would remain aggressive, no matter how many times they heard no.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of credit has to go to Jameer and the entire group,\u201d Gansey said. \u201cWe knew we were obviously top-heavy with contracts. We knew that trading would be difficult because of our salaries. But, we had to do something. We knew that we wanted to do something, even if it would be difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we told ourselves, let\u2019s just figure out the draft. After that, we knew that we needed to go and get some depth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their first order of business focused on maximizing the draft pick former president of basketball operations Daryl Morey had left them after trading Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They were confident they would be able to take a good player at No. 22. That selection became Alabama point guard Labaron Philon Jr.<\/p>\n

To fill out the roster, the Sixers decided to split the midlevel exception among two players rather than spend it all on one player. That they were able to use it on Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons says something about their vision and the realities of the current CBA. In previous eras, a team fitting two starting-level players into one midlevel slot would have been unlikely.<\/p>\n

The Sixers knew Simons\u2019 market was suppressed. According to league sources, part of their pitch centered on giving him a role that could help him rebuild his financial value. Gansey played an important role in securing Wade, whom he knew from his time as general manager of the Cavaliers. He loved Wade\u2019s potential fit with the Sixers. They needed a wing defender, and Wade is one of the league\u2019s better wing defenders.<\/p>\n

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But they also valued Wade as an offensive connector. And with several bigger possibilities still simmering behind the scenes, Gansey and Nelson knew that they would need someone who wasn\u2019t dependent on usage.<\/p>\n

\u201cDean doesn\u2019t need the ball to be effective, and every offense can use a guy like that,\u201d Nurse said at summer league. \u201cHe does a lot of dirty work. He defends and he\u2019s someone who can make a lot of reads off the primary playmakers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wade and his group chose the Sixers, according to league sources, in large part because Gansey and Nelson sold him on the vision of how he wanted the Sixers to work as an organization and how he wanted to build the roster. Wade and Gansey have long shared trust and a close relationship. Wade was one of Gansey\u2019s first real finds as an executive, and behind the scenes pushed for his ever expanding role with the Cavaliers.<\/p>\n

By the time Wade was making his decision, league sources said, there was an inkling that the Sixers\u2019 pursuit of Brown had become serious enough that those involved believed there was a legitimate chance a deal could happen. Wade chose the Sixers over several other suitors in part because of what the roster might become.<\/p>\n

At that point, not even the Sixers knew just how far that transformation might go.<\/p>\n

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\n Sixers fans shop for LeBron James jerseys as LeBron-mania sweeps through Philly. (Hunter Martin \/ Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Once the Sixers completed the trade for Brown, they reached out to James\u2019 agent Rich Paul. Their initial pitch was also a simple one: James can play on a roster capable of winning at a high level.<\/p>\n

Over the coming days and weeks, Maxey, Embiid and Brown all took turns recruiting James, according to league sources. The Sixers believed they had more than talent to appeal to one of the greatest players ever to play the game: They also had fit.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia ended last season with Maxey and Edgecombe as its only ballhandlers capable of putting pressure on defenses off the dribble. Even at 41, James remains one of the best at manipulating a defense with his dribble. More importantly, James\u2019 ability to pass the ball may make his fit in Philadelphia even more natural. The Sixers lacked a truly dynamic passer last season, and James gives them one.<\/p>\n

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What signing with the Sixers reveals about LeBron’s mindset<\/div>\n
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